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Chungbuk [Gearing] Destroyer

The American Gearing class ships were classified as Destroyer (DD). They were Ex-US Navy WWII-era DDs, extensively modernized in US service and in South Korea. Originally their primary mission was ASW, but eventutally they no longer were able to play the role ASW Destroyer because of their age. Thus the ROK Navy mainly used them as an ASW helicopter platform because they have a helicopter landing deck.

The full load displacement is 3500 tons, and before the Okpo class (KDX-1) was built they were the largest surface combat ship in the ROK Navy. The ships were transferred to the ROK Navy from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. ROKS Chungbuk (DD-915), the first ship of this class, was transferred on July 1972, and ROKS Chonju (DD-925), the last ship, was transferred on March, 1981.

This class consists of seven ships, and divided into ASUW type and ASW type. Only ROKS Kyonggi (DD-923) and ROKS Chonju (DD-925) are of the ASW type. The ASUW type has Harpoon anti-ships missile. But ASW type has ASROC instead of Harpoon. Acording to units have various radar, sonar, FCS, and differ figure of guns. This class of ships is being replaced KDX-1 and KDX-2.

The Gearing class ships were re-named after Provinces or big city in South Korea.

Although all seven ships of this class remained in commission through the mid-1990s, apparently at least two were paid off in 1998, with only three remaining in service by 2000. All remaining Gearing class DDs were decommissioned in 2000.